**weekly wildlife Feb. 10-Feb, 16**

I put some similar shots in the nature forum. These are all from a downtown park and are all wild animals.



otter with crayfish

Trumpeter swan on land, they sure are big

eagle overhead

environmental photo to let you see the setting. Bald eagle hunting ducks

Nice shot of the Otter - especially with catch.  Good ones of the Eagle too.

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AEH
http://aehass.zenfolio.com/
http://aehass.zenfolio.com/blog
Question: What do you do all week?
Answer: Mon to Fri. Nothing, Sat & Sun I rest!

I had given up on getting anything last Tuesday, but I stopped by the pond on the way back and there was a very cooperative GBH strolling the edge.  I took about 150 photos of him.  All with A-77 and Big Beercan.

GBH with catch

GBH - up the slope

GBH - posing in the fairway

GBH in the weeds

GBH fishing in the weeds

GBH - muddy pond

GBH - deep water

GBH - feathers

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AEH
http://aehass.zenfolio.com/
http://aehass.zenfolio.com/blog
Question: What do you do all week?
Answer: Mon to Fri. Nothing, Sat & Sun I rest!

All with Big Beercan and A-77.

Male Eastern Bluebird on yellow background

Female American Goldfinch Finch in morning sun

Buck sans antlers

Red Fox resting

Carolina Wren - morning sun

American Robin on concrete

Male Downy Woodpecker on dead branch

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AEH
http://aehass.zenfolio.com/
http://aehass.zenfolio.com/blog
Question: What do you do all week?
Answer: Mon to Fri. Nothing, Sat & Sun I rest!

Nice shots of a co-operative GBH; I love his breeding plumage.

Good mixture...good job on the wren.

I missed out on last week's thread - I was on vacation until Tuesday and then catching up at work the rest of that week so I never got the chance to pop in on that thread and post.

So here are some more shots from the wetlands this past month or so, including more shots in the rain since we've been getting frequent weekend rain and I'm not going to be denied to go out shooting just because of a little water falling from the sky!

A beautiful and shy American Bittern, covered in raindrops

Closeup of the bittern on the hunt

A young black-and-white warbler working through the tangle of branches

Grackles lined up on the rail, facing in all directions

Green heron hiding down in the shade under some overhanging trees

Also hiding in there...a yellow-rumped warbler (note ISO1600 needed on both of these)

Patient hunting pays off for this bittern (another one) as he gets a fish

Portrait closeup of a great blue heron as the sun broke through the rain clouds

An anhinga cruising by

A rare winter visitor to my area...a ruddy duck

The extremely wee blue-grey gnatcatcher

All shots A580, with Minolta 300mm F4 APO and APO II 1.4x TC.

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Justin
galleries: www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

Some truely great shots, Justin...I especially liked the BW warbler.

one more from me, a peekaboo shot a spotted towhee.

Very cool - you've got a nice urban wildlife selection for sure.

I'm always amazed at eagles in such public areas.  I've only ever seen bald eagles now three times in my life - once one just flew high over my house in the middle of suburbia, and once a young one was flying over the wetlands.  The most recent was last weekend when one dove down in the middle of a resort hotel pond in Disney World to attack a moorhen!  Just strange to see them in urban areas for me, because they're so rare here - you northerners are lucky to have such a regal bird so common around you!

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Justin
galleries: www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

I always enjoy watching the big waders hunting - they're so methodical!  Glad you were able to find one - of course they're pretty common down my way, so we sometimes take them for granted.

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Justin
galleries: www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

Great work on all the birds - nice and close, good detail, good light...and a very nice selection!  Love the fox all curled up too.

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Justin
galleries: www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

Most of our wintering eagles call Northwest Territories, Canada their summer home.  We do have quite a few resident birds, but in the winter, our population swells, to the detriment of the duck population.  They are like cats and seemed to kill for sport and don't necessarily eat their victims.

You sure have a wildlife friendly environment. I would never expect to see otter and bald eagle in the middle of urban. Nice captures!

Lovely series Ed. I often came back empty handed at wetland only found some good opportunity at very last moment on the way home. The first one is a really nice action shot, the rest are nice portraiture shoShoo showing great amount of details.

As usual you have a nice vest of variety. I am particully impressed bsry he sharpness of your Minolta 300 and 1.4xTC combo. The bittern close up shot shows great amount of detaile, at wide open aperture.

Mainly testing the firmware update with new AFD support on 70-200G, as well as focus micro adjustment. I have to go back for more shots when weather is clear again.

Female northern harrier flying over:

A northern pintail flying by:

A young sage sparrow?

A mallard opening up his wings:

What a ugly black squirrel:



Critters by Joan... Teton Park, Schwabacher landing parking area.

Mom, Mom,.....

Some times we should spend more time on the common little things.

Joan shot it, A77/70-400G

Mike

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Images of Nature, Landscapes, Wildlife...

That squirrel looks to be an escaped marsupial of some kind or a bad case of mange.  Poor guy.